Minnesota Department of Transportation has officially awarded a Flatiron-Manson joint venture the contract for design and construction of the replacement for the Interstate 35W bridge that collapsed in August. The team had been announced as the apparent winner in September. Details have also been released of the proposal submitted by the team, whose lead designer is Figg Bridge Engineers.
The primary theme outlined in the design proposal is 'arches, water, reflection'. "In addition to designing the best and safest bridge, we want to create a bridge that reflects the values of this community," said Linda Figg, president and director of bridge art for Figg. "The concept we submitted was designed to complement and highlight the new bridge's surroundings and properly remember those lost in the tragedy of August 1."
Features of the design include the use of high performance concrete to provide superior durability and multiple levels of structural redundancy to ensure a long-lasting bridge that will be economical to maintain. There will also be a state-of-the-art sensor and monitoring system. "Our top priority is safety - both throughout construction and during the entire life of the bridge," said Flatiron-Manson project manager Peter Sanderson.
